Diving the El Bells & Blue Hole (Red Sea)

[Yevgeny Nyden]

One of the most amazing dive sites I've been to! So much to see! Lot's of sea life on the wall and the most spectacular entry and exit. A word of advice - if you get there early (I was there at 7-8 am), you'll avoid the crowds.


El Bells has it's own arch at about 98ft (30m), which is much safer to dive than the infamous Blue Hole's arch. So, a common way to dive this spot is to enter at El Bells, descend to the arch, go through the arch, move along the wall towards the Blue Hole ascending slowly, enter Blue Hole (hang out there if you wish), exit.

Btw, I've been there (Nuweiba, Dahab, Sharm, Cairo) just before the trouble started - felt pretty safe. I have friends who are staying on Senai right now - they report no noticeable issues whatsoever.

http://youtu.be/-r1Y1-RdleU

[video=youtube;-r1Y1-RdleU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r1Y1-RdleU[/video]

 

[String]

Not sure id rate Bells to blue hole in the top 3 or 4 dive sites around Dahab to be honest.

It's got an interesting chimney and small arch at 23m then its a 20 min swim along a relatively dead wall with nothing really in the blue either.

The coral saddle area then is nice with a fair bit of life before crossing into the hole (dead again) to exit.

Blue hole RIGHT is a better dive there (as is Canyon coral garden and plenty of others)

 

[large_diver]

It's been a few years.....but my memory of the outer wall of the blue hole was "wow"...great dive

 

[Krazyklaws]

I do like the entry down the 'chimney' but there are much nicer dives in the area IMO. Canyon is my favourite, I love that 'cave dive' feeling (although I've never been to the deeper bits, 40m is my max) and the coral garden nearby is so pretty. There always seems to be something unusual there.

Islands is one of the shallowest and most spectacular - the labyrinth of corals is superb. I love eel garden too, especially when the sun falls on it in the early afternoon.

I wouldn't dismiss the Southern Oasis either, I love the laid back atmosphere and all the sites down there.

Thanks for starting this thread, you've reminded me why I love Dahab so much! I can't wait to get back there!! 57 days and counting.......

 

[Lingfield]

Blue Hole has notoriety because of the number of divers who have died on the site at the underwater arch. I'd agree with you that the start in the chimney and finish on the coral bar are good but that the rest is pretty dead.
I like The Islands and Canyon though the latter is showing wear and tear and the "fish bowl" has been closed due to over-diving damage.

 

[johnatabc]

Like Krazyklaws, I always enjoy Islands. My favorite dive in Dahab.
Last time I was there, I nearly lost a hand when the guide grabbed my camera, which was secured to my wrist, and took off at high speed to get pictures of the Eagle Ray that had appeared over the top of the coral.
Fantastic.

 

[Crowley]

watch out for the man-eating cleaner fish!!

 

[String]

watch out for the man-eating cleaner fish!!

Still remember doing AOW on the wall, good student. Looked behind me, all was fine etc. About 11 mins into the dive i looked behind again to see the student vertical in the water, wide eyed with hands covering both ears and breathing like a train.
...yep - the cleaner fish were nibbling.

The ones at the Canyon between the fish bowl and pinnacle are worse though.

 

[Jai Bar]

My favorite is Gabr el Bint although I too love the bells-blue hole dive, I agree it's lower on the list.

In the late 80s (or early 90s don't remember), when the blue hole started to get busy with hordes of divers and snorkellers, we started marketing to divers the bells-blue hole dive as a better experience, just to have a calmer dive surroundings less crowded. Funny that eventually it caught as a mainstream dive... if you think about it, it used to be more of a hassle to do the extra distance- the road in those days didn't actually got to the blue hole, only a few hundred metres to the south, one had to carry the gear by foot under the scorching sun, no water in the area, then take the extra steps and distance to bells, instead of jumping directly to luring blue hole...

Sent from my myTouch 4G

 

[Kieran Byrne]

Blue Hole has notoriety because of the number of divers who have died on the site at the underwater arch. I'd agree with you that the start in the chimney and finish on the coral bar are good but that the rest is pretty dead.
I like The Islands and Canyon though the latter is showing wear and tear and the "fish bowl" has been closed due to over-diving damage.

How or why have people died there?